Table 3.
Baseline characteristics of children with spontaneous HCV clearance and those with persistent HCV infection
| Characteristic (number [%] unless otherwise specified) | Total (n=96) | Spontaneous clearance group (n=31) | Persistent HCV infection group (n=65) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Male | 53 (55.2) | 11 (35.5) | 42 (64.6) | 0.01 |
| Female | 43 (44.8) | 20 (64.5) | 23 (35.4) | ||
| Age | Mean ± SD | 5.9 ± 2.4 | 5.8 ± 2.6 | 5.9 ± 2.3 | 0.89 |
| Body mass index | Mean ± SD | 16.7 ± 2.7 | 16.5 ±2.7 | 16.7 ±2.7 | 0.74 |
| Residence | Rural | 32 (34.0) | 11 (35.5) | 21 (33.3) | 0.84 |
| Urban | 62 (66.0) | 20 (64.5) | 42 (66.7) | ||
| Abdominal pain | 46 (47.9) | 17 (54.8) | 29 (44.6) | 0.39 | |
| Abdominal distention | Mild | 35 (36.5) | 15 (48.4) | 20 (30.8) | 0.23 |
| Severe | 5 (5.2) | 1 (3.2) | 4 (6.2) | ||
| Jaundice | 26 (27.4) | 11 (35.5) | 15 (23.4) | 0.22 | |
| Elevated AST | 69 (71.9) | 17 (54.8) | 52 (80.0) | 0.01 | |
| Elevated ALT | 58 (61.1) | 13 (41.9) | 45 (70.3) | 0.008 | |
| Serum albumin | Mean ± SD | 3.6 ± 0.6 | 3.5 ± 0.8 | 3.8 ± 0.5 | 0.029 |
| Total bilirubin | Median (Min-Max) | 0.60 (0.1–9.3) | 0.60 (0.2–7) | 0.60 (0.1–9.3) | 0.61 |
| Direct bilirubin | Median (Min-Max) | 0.10 (0–5.7) | 0.10 (0–4.4) | 0.10 (0–5.7) | 0.42 |
| AST (ULN 40) | Median (Min-Max) | 59.0 (22–402) | 43.0 (22–357) | 66.0 (24–402) | 0.057 |
| ALT (ULN 40) | Median (Min-Max) | 51.0 (12–559) | 23.0 (12–281) | 57.0 (12–559) | 0.005 |
| Prothrombin time | Mean ± SD | 13.5 ± 1.5 | 13.9 ± 2.2 | 13.4± 1.0 | 0.66 |
| White cells count | Mean ± SD | 11.2 ± 10.6 | 10.3 ± 8.8 | 11.7 ± 11.4 | 0.83 |
| Hemoglobin | Mean ±SD | 10.7 ± 1.9 | 10.4 ± 1.5 | 10.8 ± 2.1 | 0.26 |
| Liver in midclavicular line (cm) by ultrasound | Median (Min-Max) | 0 (0–8) | 1 (0–8) | 0 (0–7) | 0.26 |
| Liver echo-pattern by ultrasound | Normal | 71 (76.3) | 21(72.4) | 50 (78.1) | 0.19 |
| Bright | 4 (4.3) | 0 (0) | 4 (6.3) | ||
| Coarse | 18 (19.4) | 8 (27.6) | 10 (15.6) | ||
| Spleen by ultrasound | Normal | 68 (73.1) | 21 (72.4) | 47 (73.4) | 0.97 |
| Enlarged | 18 (19.4) | 6 (20.7) | 12 (18.8) | ||
| Absent (removed) | 7 (7.5) | 2 (6.9) | 5 (7.8) |